Duncan looks into Clear Creek Dam seepage

DUNCAN, OK (KSWO) -The City of Duncan is moving forward to inspect the seepage problems at the Clear Creek Dam and Spillway.

Ron Kroop, the public works director and city engineer, addressed the Duncan City Council with his concerns about the dam during Tuesday night's meeting. He presented a written proposal of what it would cost for an engineering firm to inspect the dam and report on its degradation and water seepage, as well as the potential consequences if the problems are not addressed in a timely manner.

The water seepage does not pose a threat to the city or residents who live near the dam, but the problem isn't something the city should look over.

Kroop said he first learned of the problem September 2015. There are two areas of concern, one on the lake side and the other is underneath the concrete spillway. The seepage under the concrete spillway is the more pressing problem.

"It's carrying away soil. How much soil…we don't know. That will be part of the investigative efforts," Kroop said.

Kroop says finding the source of the seepage is important, because the entire dam is made of soil. He says while he just found out about the problem last year, the pile of rocks put on the lake side of the dam nearly ten years ago is proof the city has been monitoring the situation.

"We don't know yet if it's cracking yet. Hopefully it's just a minute amount of water seeping through the soil carrying that soil away from the dam," Kroop said.

Kroop says there's no fear of the dam giving way overnight, but it's best to stay on top of the seepage issues.

"We do not have a looming catastrophe from professional judgment, not just my judgment, but it will continue to seep and over time probably will expand in the rate of seepage," he said.

Kroop says over the next 90 days, a firm will evaluate where the seepage is coming from and how to fix it. He says no matter what they come back with, starting the project may be delayed due to the city's latest round of financial hardships.

"Depends on how much money it will cost us and where we the city will be able to come up with that funding," Kroop said.

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